Pressing iron



Aug. 12, 1952 H. B. REYNOLDS 2,606,379

PRESSING IRON Filed July 3, 1950 FIG. I

I HI h. I

FIG. 2

H. B..REYNOLDS;

ATTOR N EYS Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNI-TED STATES" PATENT oFF-rcs j HRESSING IRON Harold.B'. -Reynolds, St..Albans,.W.IVa. Application July 3; 1950, Sfla1 N6.-1-7-1,951

" Theiollowingv specification. relates to an. im:- provement in pressing irons: When laundry is: pressed by a hand iron, the problem is frequently" presented ofpressing around and-under the edge of a button or similar projection; While. it has:

be'enzsuggested-to'cut spe'cialrecesses or. grooves in. the edge K of't'h'e iron, or to provide: slots: for receiving the button, such construction tends-.to.

be diflicult to handle, injurious tothe1goods and inthe case of "the slot :materially reduces :the'effective pressingsurface.

2 In accordance with my invention it iis possible to preserve the entirespressing surface. Itis also a pressing iron having the usua l'heating surfacev and an interiorly disposedeoveredrecess in which the button may be held.

A further object of my invention is to provide means. by 'whichthe recesscan beopened to receive thebutton.

Anotherob'iect ofm y inventionis to provide mechanical meansconvenientto the :thumb of the operator to provide a recess at the moment when the button is to be received:

Other-incidental objects of my inventionwill be evident from the following description and the accompanying drawings of the preferred form of my invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation partially in vertical section showing a pressing iron equipped with the novel button receiver and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom view showing the pressing surface of the iron adapted to receive the button.

In brief, the invention consists in providing a circular opening in the face or pressing surface of the iron and providing a closure for this opening and means for maintaining the closure in closed position, except when mechanically retracted by manual eifort.

The invention is shown as applied to a pressing iron 3. This iron has a shoe 4 of customary form providing a pressing surface.

Above the shoe, there is provided a horizontal plate 5 separated by a slight space from the shoe 4. This space may be occupied by an electric heating element not shown, and which is not a part of the invention. a

The plate 5 has a slide bearing block 6, permanently attached by rivets or the like I,

7.- Claims-.- (01.38993).

The block. 6. has: a chamber'fl extending u Wardly from the bottom of the block and in l ne. withahole 9 in the platefi. V

Theupper end of: the;b1ock. G-has-a slide; bearing; It. Opposite the hole 9,.theshoethas-acir cuiarropeningi I. This opening has itssidesmp wardlyflaring, as shown in Fig. 1. 1

Theopening; I I is adapted to receiveaclosure member l2. This'issintheform-of-:adisk having sideedges of. the same. tapering slop as theeinner. wallof the openingL-l Thee-disk.l2ewillthusform a closure which conformsrto the pressingisurfacee of the-shoe' l and'by. reasonpf'theextended edge-.- contact of .the two,- the disk- I 2. forms a .portiomoftheheatingsurface.

stem l3 risescentrallyfromtheadiskvllandpasses; upwardly fromtheslidebearing 10.. AiOOiL spring; I l-loosely around thestem l 3rests on the; inner face of the disk: l 2.- andfat the oppositezend abutsthe inner endof-Lthe-chamberv 8. Inythismanner? the? spring 1 serves to :hold .the disk: {ESE [11 1 ently in place in closed position. v V

The pressing iron has thezusual cover: plate 5- 'I-his platehas an opening; I 6 a throughw-hich the; stem. 13 extends. The". handle bracket l rises fromrthe; cover plate-.l-iand; is also perforated as:- at -l 8 towpermit freersliding movement ofthestern To assist lu -causin the stem. and: disk torriseagainst the pressure of the coil spring, the handle bracket I! has an opening l9 opposite the upper end of the stem l3.

This opening 19 is a loose bearing for the fulcrum of a lever 20. The lever 20 is pivoted to the upper end of the stem l3 and extends forwardly through the opening I9.

A bracket 2| on the front of the handle bracket ll forms the bearing of a plunger 22. The upper end of the plunger has a pad 23 for engagement for the thumb or finger of the operator;

The plunger 22 is bent forwardly and generally parallel to the handle bracket I1. The lower end of the plunger 22 is pivoted to the front end of the lever 20.

The plunger 22 is notched as at 24. When the plunger is depressed, this notch is opposite the opening of the bracket 2! and may be pushed forward to latch with the bracket.

When th plunger is depressed, it takes the position shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 1 and the lever 20 is rocked with its rear end elevated. This causes the spring M to be compressed and the disk I2 to be lifted into the dotted lines shown. The circular opening II is then open to receive the button and the pressing operation can be carried out in all directions around the button and inwardly toward the central thread or other means by which the button is attached.

It will also be apparent that by merely pressing the pad [2 over the button and pressing down on the iron, the coil spring will be compressed so that the pressing operation can be carried out as above described.

I haveillustrated and described above the preferred form of my invention without however limiting its scope beyond that of the appended claims, due latitude being given for changes in proportions, materials and minor structural details.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressing iron having a handle anda bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surface of the shoe. a movable closure member for the recess having a stem and manually operated linkage carried by the handle and connected to the stem of the closure member and retracting the closurefmember above the bottom surface of the shoe.

2. In a pressing iron having a handle and a bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surface of the shoe, a movable closure member for the recess having a stem, a spring on the stem for holding the closure member in the recess and manually operated linkage carried by the handle and connected to the stem of the closure member and retracting it above the bottom surface of the shoe.

3. In a pressing iron having a handle, a bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surfac of the shoe and an apertured plate above the shoe, a slide bearing on the plate opposite the recess, a closure member for the recess having astem mounted in the bearing and passing through the aperture of the plate, a compression spring on the stem'between the bearing and the closure member, and manually operated linkage carried by the handle and connected to the stem of the closure member for retracting the latter above the bottom surface of the shoe.

4. In a pressing iron having a handle, a bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surface of the shoe and an apertured plate above the shoe, a slide bearing on the plate opposite the recess, a closure member for the recess, a stem for the closure member mounted in the bearing, a compression spring on the stem between the bearing 4 and the closure member, and manually operated linkage carried by the handle and connected to the stem of the closure member for retracting the latter above the surface of the shoe.

5. In a pressing iron having a handle and a bottom shoe with a circular recess in the bottom surface of the shoe, said recess having an upwardly diverging side wall, a movable closure member for the recess with a correspondingly inclined side wall and having a stem, and manually operated linkage carried by the handle and connected to the stem of the closure member for retracting the latter above the bottom surface of the shoe.

6. In a pressing iron having a handle, a vertical bearing and a bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surface of the shoe, a closure member for the recess, a closure stem in the vertical bearing, springmeans between the bearing and the closure member for holding the latter in the recess, a lever pivoted on the handle and connected to the stem and a plunger on the handle pivotedto the lever and lifting the closure from its seat in the recess.

7. In a pressing iron having a handle, a vertical bearing and a bottom shoe with a recess in the bottom surface of the shoe, a closure member for the recess, a closure stem in the vertical bearing, spring means between the bearing and the closure member for holding the latter in the recess, a lever pivoted on the handle and connected to the stem, a plunger on the handle pivoted to the lever for tilting the latter and raising the closure memher and a detent on the plunger to latch said plunger in depressed position.

HAROLD B. REYNOLDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,660 Hunter June 28, 1892 2,224,896 Burian Dec. 1'7, 1940 2,511,309 Tullgren et al. June 13, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 400,683 Germany Aug. 22, 1924 

